The South Carolina Democratic Party is on life support...and that is putting it nicely right now. If this were one of those made-for-TV hospital dramas, the doctors would be leaving the SCDP to die, moving on to the patient in the bed next door. And for the record, this is not something I want. I'm a Democrat, and proud to be one at that. And yes, I am liberal on a lot of issues, and I don't look at that word as naughty either. I'm proud of the accomplishments of my party over the last seventy-five years. Were there rough times? Of course, but all in all, I am still a very proud Donkey (does that sound bad?) Right now though, I am embarrassed. And no...it is not for my party! I am embarrassed for the state of South Carolina and the referndum the voters delivered on Tuesday night. So sadly I come to you to deliver the Last Rites for the South Carolina Democratic Party...at least temporarily this Donkey hopes. Let's face some facts here that show that November will be a very disappointing time for the Dems in South Carolina:
· Mark Sanford broke tradition. He came out and openly supported a candidate in a PRIMARY. And that candidate won 51% of the vote in a field that included five candidates. I am not a Karen Floyd fan (or school choice fan either for that matter), but that is impressive. Jim Rex, your resume is impressive, but you had better be worried.
· Andre Bauer and Mark Sanford clashed. Mike Campbell, who has nothing to run on but his Daddy's name (sounds kind of like an important national figure), beat Bauer. Even though there will still be a runoff, Andre is going to be lucky to get 40% of the vote come two weeks from now.
· Tommy Moore won a convincing victory in the Democratic primary. However, the loser in the Republican primary, Oscar Lovelace, still finished with nearly as many raw votes as Moore did. I know, the Republican races were more highlighted and were going to draw more voters. Still though, that would be a bit discouraging to me.
· The State newspaper came out with an article that supposedly says Sanford is weak. I am not buying it. Winthrop Political Scientist Scott Huffmon said, "Democrats will take the opportunity to draw moderates over to their side" when he was presented with how Oscar took over a 1/3 of the vote against Sanford. That is the problem Mr. Huffmon. As 2002 showed me when I clearly thought Alex Sanders was the better candidate for the US Senate over Lindsay Graham, as 2004 showed me when I clearly thought that Inez was better that Jim DeMint, as 2002 showed me when I thought we had a very productive four years under Jim Hodges...there are not that many moderates in South Carolina...just Republicans, and well, more Republicans.
I hope I am wrong. I hope that the Dems are competitive in November, however I fear that we will see a triumverate of Sanford, Campbell, and Floyd come the first Tuesday in November. And then I might be returning...this time to deliver the Last Rites to the state of South Carolina.
6 comments:
Amen. Hangs head in prayer for the departed party.
On the bright side. When I enter the voting booth this November I only have on button to push. NO to the Family Discrimination Amendment ~ remember folks we already have a DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) on the books.
As my father in-law (I only wish) said to me yesterday: "I'm pissed that my rights, as a parent, to see my child happy are being denied." oh, yea, his daddy was the Minister of the Tigerville Baptist Church for years. We have the organ my partner's grandmother played in that church.
'nuff said.
Go to: DumbAmendment.com
I need your vote, support & donations.
no peace until I have equal rights as a citizen of this state and country,
Uncle "Don't Tread On Me" Z
To paraphrase Mark Twain -- "It has been reported that I was seriously ill--it was another man; dying--it was another man; dead--the other man again...As far as I can see, nothing remains to be reported, except that I have become a [Republican]. When you hear it, don't you believe it. And don't take the trouble to deny it. Merely just raise the American flag on our house ... and let it talk." - Letter to Frank E. Bliss, 11/4/1897
I hope everyone feels the pain I do in seeing so many acquiesce to the inevitability of a Republican victory in November -- "When you hear it, don't believe it." I certainly don't believe it; and, I have always considered myself a pragmatic realist. In South Carolina, being a Democrat demands that we raise our voices to the rafters to make sure we are heard. Our message must be clear, concise, and practical. It must enlighten and inspire. It must be framed in a manner that makes it evident that it is in the best interests of the vast majority of South Carolinians.
I have no intention of "going quietly into that good night" -- neither should anyone else who believes in the premise and promise of the United States of America.
I believe that you are mistaken about there not being many moderates in South Carolina. In fact a plurality of South Carolina voters do not consider themselves straight-ticket voting Republicans or Democrats but rather independents. But it’s true that for the most part these are conservative-leaning independents and will more often than not vote Republican unless the Democrats have something in their favor going for them. The reason Hodges and Sanders lost was because the Democratic Party could not effectively counter the fact that these conservative-leaning independents, who were enough to put Hodges over the edge in 1998, were not going to vote Democratic only a year after the attacks on September 11. But now in 2006, a large segment of these conservative-leaning independents should be up for grabs, and Tommy Moore needs to do two things that worked for Jim Hodges and the Democratic Party in 1998—convince enough of these independent voters that the state’s economy and public education system is worse off now then it was four years ago and then offer concrete ideas to fix it. Video poker and flag controversies aside, in 1998 Democrats tied the public education system failings to David Beasley and offered a plan to improve it centered on the lottery. And even though the Republican faithful were strongly behind their incumbent governor in 1998 the same way they will eventually rally around Sanford, the Democrats were able to pick off enough independents and convince them to vote Democrat for a change. Maybe this formula can work again.
I think that the death of the Democratic Party in South Carolina is a good thing. As others have said, many moderates exist in this state who remain unhappy with either choice and continually cast a vote for what they believe is the "lesser of two evils" - whether that be a GOP or a Dem. vote. It is hard for me to believe that the SCDP consists of those same nutjobs that run the national Democrat Party, but as long as the GOP succeeds in linking the two to a population that remains incredibly manipulatable and shallow, there will be no real change of the guard. Perhaps it will take the death of the SCDP to create a viable third option?
I have to disagree.
I think this will be a good year for Democrats in SC. There were so many people that voted in this primary who were actually voting against people rather than for people. And those people were Sanford and Bauer.
And Sanford is such a strong candidate that a day after his 65% defeat over Lovelace - who is a great person and I am sorry the SC Repubs didn't have the sense to drop Sanford off at the pig pen as he enjoys playing with them so much - Sanford vetoes the whole budget to show his muscle and supposed political capital and then the state legislature (Republicans and Democrats) overrides his veto. What a way to kick off a campaign!
We haven't seen many campaign ads out during the primary for the democrats because they have their act together actually. The SC GOP had 5 candidates for Sec of Education - and the one who is presumably going to win, Karen Hughes, is a lawyer and a mother of children who have been in the educational system. Please I am a mother who is in charge of her son's medical care but that does not make me qualified to run for President of the SC Medical Association. Other than "more discipline" she has no platform. Once the GOP candidate is chosen in the run off and Rex will become more visible there will be no comparison between the two. One candidate is pure rhetoric and the other actually has a plan and wants to listen to what others have to say.
I think there is going to be a smaller percentage of individuals voting straight Republican ticket and that will be an advantage for every Dem in the state.
As for your take on the state party - the party is what you make of it. If you don't like it then get active. That is what we have done in our area.
Jeff,
Good thoughts, I kinda disagree with you a little but I do agree with you on some and understand where your coming from. Everyone else, thanks for the comments.
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